


The Case of the Shadow Man

by SweatpantsAndNoPlans



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-01-03 03:17:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21172556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweatpantsAndNoPlans/pseuds/SweatpantsAndNoPlans
Summary: Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are back at it again, investigating the paranormal. Only this time, their case seems less than perfect, with no evidence to go on and no witnesses, our dynamic duo must turn to another source. That source being, the urban legend of the elusive Shadow Man. Will Mulder and Scully solve the case? Or will they have more questions than answers?





	1. Chapter 1

** Wichita, Texas 3:15 a.m. **

Darleen Adler was fast asleep on her shabby, grey futon. However, after a deafening crash, Darleen was roused from her slumber. Unable to locate the origin of the noise, Darleen crept out of her bed and headed into the kitchen, where she discovered several of her coffee mugs had been destroyed. Scared and confused, Darleen headed further into the kitchen, eventually finding the dining room. Overall, the room seemed as she had left it: the dark-brown curtains were drawn, the oak wood dining table freshly polished, and the matching chairs were tucked neatly underneath. Once Darleen decided that nothing was out-of-the-ordinary, she headed back into the kitchen to clean up the mess. She assumed that her cat, Duckie, had something to do with it. However, much to her chagrin, she found her precious tabby cat lying chillingly still on the ground. Darleen was worried that Duckie had cut himself on the shards of glass, but, after taking a closer look at him, she noticed a giant hole in the middle of his stomach. It was as if something had ripped its way out of his belly. Darleen was beyond terrified. She was not sure who or what could have done this. Scared to death that an intruder was in her home, she headed for the telephone. Unfortunately, someone or, rather, something prohibited her from reaching the phone. As she looked through the vast darkness, she witnessed the most unbelievable sight. Standing amidst the darkened kitchen, the shadowy figure rushed at her. Her screams echoed throughout her home. The black figure with piercing red eyes was the last thing she saw before the world dimmed.

**Meanwhile, at the FBI Headquarters in Washington D.C….**

“ So, what do you think, Scully?” Mulder asked, while Scully was reviewing their newest casefile.

“Mulder, I don’t think there is an x-file here. Look at the evidence, Darleen Adler, was on several different antidepressant medications, some of which are known to cause hallucinations and paranoia.”

“Even if that is the case, Scully, there have been several reports regarding what early Navajo tribes call,  _ The Shadow Man.  _ According to legend, the shadow man represents an individual’s most repressed thoughts. In Darleen’s case, this entity could be the embodiment of her depression; her repressed thoughts being a multitude of things: suicide, trauma, side-effects of her medication…” 

Scully was not convinced, first of all, her partner was basing his evidence off of urban legends, second of all, whether she expressed her extreme opposition or not, he would inevitably somehow convince her that he may be onto something.  _ Damn him, _ she thought.

“Mulder, you expect me to believe that Darleen saw the embodiment of her suppressed desires?” Scully’s tone exuded skepticism. 

“More like suppressed fears, Scully.” He corrected flatly.

“Mulder, that’s ridiculous! We are wasting our time. There is nothing here that even suggests such claims. I’ll buy that Darleen Adler was suffering from some undiagnosed psychosis, but I am not going to stand here and admit that her death was the result of some shadow creature.”

Scully was fuming. How many times were they going to chase the fantastical. After all these years, their search to find the truth had done nothing but put them in danger time and again. What was it going to take to convince Mulder that all this, “The truth is out there” nonsense leads to nothing but death and destruction. Hell, the men behind all of this, to teach Mulder a lesson, abducted her and gave her an incurable disease. Granted, she recovered due to some unidentifiable object Mulder found that, inevitably, saved her life. But still, the principle of it all was there: these men were going to do whatever it takes to protect their secrets. Despite that knowledge, here they were, going back to square one... 

As if Mulder could read her innermost thoughts, he looked at her as if he knew the underlying message she was trying to convey to him. In all honesty, he knew the risks, he knew that his selfish vendetta against the government has caused harm to the one person he trusts; the one person he truly cares about. Not just as a partner but as a friend, maybe even something more. However, admitting it would mean admitting to the several years of him craving,  _ yearning _ , to touch her, to kiss her, to  _ love _ her. He knew how much this affected her as well. Hell, he wasn’t blind. In all honesty, this, trying to discover the truth, was all he knew how to do. He had spent so many years researching and attempting to find answers. Answers that were taken from him when he was just a young boy. In a sense, trying to find the truth was more than discovering the existence of extraterrestrials, it was about bringing meaning to his life. It was about regaining the hope that was lost ever since his sister, Samantha, had been taken from him….


	2. Chapter 2

While the two federal agents were on the road, heading to Wichita, Texas, they sat in comfortable silence. Mulder was relieved that their little argument from earlier had subsided. The last thing he wanted was to piss his partner off even more. After all, whenever they went on cases, such as this, Scully was always in a bad mood. She would explain time and again how these types of cases end with more questions than answers, inevitably leaving her field report ‘less-than-satisfactory’. Despite his partner’s obvious hatred for anything outside the realm of science, he was more than appreciative of her being by his side. He just hoped that Scully felt the same.

Observing the sights in front of her, Scully’s thoughts were going a-mile-a-minute. She felt a pang of guilt when remembering her outburst from earlier today. She really didn’t mean to get so heated. In fact, she wasn’t sure why she became so tense when it came to cases like this. Sure, her field report would be littered with invalidated and unsubstantiated results, but she knew deep down it went beyond that. She just wasn’t sure of the exact cause. However, if she were to guess, it would most likely involve a certain undeniably attractive FBI agent, sitting mere inches away from her. 

After a few more minutes of Scully silently chastising herself, she decided to apologize for her unbecoming behavior.

“I’m sorry, Mulder.” 

She felt so bad that the words practically tumbled out of her mouth. Her sudden outburst caught Mulder off guard. He seemed a little out of it himself.  _ He must have been lost in thought as well, _ she thought. 

“Uh-no, it’s alright, Scully. I know how you feel about these types of cases. I know that I always drag us into dangerous situations, but I wouldn’t want to experience it with anyone but you.”

His response caught her off guard. He usually never expressed his true feelings to her, at least not to this extent. She was happy, nevertheless. She was so stunned by his admission, however, that she just stared at him with her mouth slightly agape. Mulder glanced in her direction, awaiting her response. When no response came, the two agents just sat in silence, gazing at one another. The intensity of Mulder's eyes on her, started a fire within her body. The sexual tension in the air was becoming almost unbearable. It wasn't until the sound of police sirens, approaching Darleen Adler’s home, that the two agents finally broke eye contact and returned to reality. In that moment, Scully could have sworn time had stopped.  _ Great _ , she thought,  _ the one time they share an intimate moment, their work has to get in the way. _

As the agents left their vehicle, they were approached by a stocky man with blazing blue eyes and short, dark brown hair. He was of average height and wore big, black-rimmed glasses that took up the majority of his pale face. 

“Are you two the federal agents?” He asked with a heavy country accent.

“Yeah. I’m agent Fox Mulder and this is my partner Dana Scully. You find anything interesting?” Just the sound of his partner’s name on his tongue felt exhilarating. 

However, it was strange how this never seemed to work him up before. Maybe it was the residual effects of their little moment in the car earlier, or maybe it was something that had been developing for years, but has now finally surfaced. He was afraid to admit the latter. But, he would have to dwell on it another time. Right now, there was a case to solve.

While the agents made it inside the home, they discovered the petrifying body of Darleen Adler. She was lying on the kitchen floor surrounded by, what was assumed to be, charcoal powder. Her body, itself, seemed untouched. In fact, the only indication that an intruder was present was the charcoal powder; well, that and the mien of absolute horror on her pale, cold face. The sight alone was enough to cause even a trained agent to get chills.

Other than the body and charcoal powder, there was no other evidence for the agents to go on. Nothing had been moved, touched, or stolen. From just this one sight, it was as if Ms. Adler just dropped dead. Although this claim was obviously inaccurate, it wasn’t exactly implausible. The only shred of evidence the two agents had was the mysterious charcoal powder. This raised several questions: what was it doing there? Why did the killer leave it there? Was this powdered substance really charcoal? It was up to the Special agents, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, to figure this one out. 


	3. Chapter 3

“What do you think, Scully?” Mulder asked curiously.

“I’ll admit, something doesn’t seem right. In the case report, it explained that there were several broken coffee mugs lying on the kitchen floor, but I don’t see any evidence of this? Could it be possible that the killer went back to the scene of the crime to clean up the mess?” Even to her, she realized that it was a foolish idea; however, she had no explanation for this assessment. Well, no scientific explanation that is. 

“I thought that was strange as well, but come look at this.”

Scully followed Mulder into the kitchen. The word gaudy didn’t even begin to describe this kitchen. Darleen Adler was quite the collector of miniature, antique dolls. She had then on almost every shelf in her kitchen. To her credit, there seemed to be a sort of fastidiousness amongst all of the clutter. She wasn’t sure why, but Scully couldn’t help but feel envious of Adler. Darleen’s life had been so full of normalcy, something Scully craved. She was jealous that she would never be able to indulge herself in the niceties of life. Thinking of it now, Scully couldn’t even begin to think of a time where she would be able to collect something. She barely had the time to do her job. 

After a few more moments of observing Adler’s kitchen, the agents stopped in front of a cabinet that was filled with a number of coffee mugs. Some of which had little sayings on them like, “I love coffee,” and “College Survival Mug.” Scully thought they were cute, but she was lost as to why Mulder had taken her here? As if Mulder read her mind, or understood her confusion-laced face, he answered her unasked question.

“Do you think they used Gorilla glue, or what?” He quipped.

“Mulder, how could you possibly know how many mugs this woman owns. I mean, she is obviously an avid collector. What makes you think she wouldn’t do the same with mugs?” She couldn’t help but crack a smile. The fact that they were arguing about mugs just proved how different they are. Although it is no surprise that they argue about every case, this little disagreement just solidified it. 

“Scully, this is ONE woman we’re talking about here. How many coffee mugs does one woman need?”

Scully let out a hearty laugh. She can’t remember the last time she laughed while on a case with Mulder. Even though she was in the middle of the crime scene, she didn’t feel bad enough to suppress her laughter and, if Mulder’s big, goofy grin was any indication then, she definitely did not feel bad. 

After a few more hours of searching and documenting the scene, the two agents headed to the local lab in order to test the charcoal powder to see, if in fact, it was charcoal powder. 

“Well, agents, you were right. This is not charcoal powder.” The lab scientist explained.

“What have you found instead?” Mulder questioned, not shocked at having found that the powdered substance was not charcoal.

“Mostly, I found dry calcium; however, I noticed there were other substances as well, like sodium and potassium.” 

Upon hearing his discoveries, Scully gave a knowing, yet horrified look. “Mulder,” she turned to him, giving him a look of bewilderment and doubt. 

She looked at him as if he already knew what they were doing here. She hated when he waited until they were right in the middle of the case to inform her about the realities of these cases. Despite her apparent frustrations, she had no choice but to play along. So, she continued, 

“Those are the same substances found in cremated remains.” 

The lab scientist just nodded in surprise. It was funny to Mulder how, every time they would go to a professional, Scully would always shock them because she, herself, was a scientist. Sometimes Mulder didn’t understand why they couldn’t just examine the evidence on their own. After all, they were certainly more than capable. But, it was a jurisdictional issue. So, they were forced to seek out help, unfortunately. 

Before Mulder could speak, Scully blurted out, “Mulder, what the hell is going on here?” 

She was fuming, Mulder could tell. He knew he should’ve told her the full story, but he always waited until they were in the middle of a case. In his mind, if he divulged all of the information, she would never have come with him. Thus, he had to tell her while she was in the midst of the case in order to fill her in on everything she missed. And, to prove his theory correct, she would never leave a case unsolved. In other words, she believes that she has a duty to find out the truth, which is one of the many reasons they’re perfect for each other. However, Mulder wasn’t about to admit that to her. Not until he was sure she felt the same. He hoped she felt the same…

“Scully, I believe the cremated remains found surrounded by Darleen Adler were from her dead husband.” 

Scully stood there dumbfounded, giving him an exasperated sigh. “Mulder, you can’t honestly believe that this is the work of the  _ Shadow Man _ .” 

“Why not, Scully? Darleen Adler had an innate fear of her husband. That could be the man she saw that night.” Mulder was absolutely convinced that this was the work of some creature; however, Scully was far from satisfied. 

“Mulder, on what evidence do you base that theory on?” She didn’t give him the time to answer. Instead, she kept on trying to debunk his claims. “ If her husband was there that night, how is it possible that his remains are scattered all around her body? Hell, Mulder, what even gives you the certainty that her husband is even dead?”

Before Mulder could defend himself, the lab tech chimed in, “Actually, Agent Mulder is right. These are the remains of Thomas Adler.” 

Scully just stood there. Instead of ripping Mulder a new one, which she did in every case they’ve been on, she just gave another annoyed sigh and admitted defeat, for now. 

“Fine, Mulder, we will investigate this so-called  _ Shadow Man. _ Who is the shaman we need to talk to?” 

Scully was too annoyed to care whether she came off as condescending or not. She knew Mulder hated it when people made jokes about his line of work, but she was pissed. She hated hearing about all of this X-File mumbo-jumbo. She just wanted to have a normal case, just once, that’s all she was asking for. 

Ignoring the gnawing remorse for causing Mulder’s distress, Scully and her somber partner went to find out more about the elusive  _ Shadow Man.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! 
> 
> I hope you are enjoying the story so far! I'm sorry that I am not the best writer. This is just kind of my first attempt at a multi-chapter fanfic. Hopefully, it will all come together in the end. Anyways, if you have any suggestions or comments, please feel free to leave them. Thank you again! I hope you have a great day/evening/night. 
> 
> P.S. I'm sorry the chapters are so short. Hopefully, as the story progresses, they will be longer.


	4. Chapter 4

After driving for hours, agents Mulder and Scully finally arrived in Albuquerque. They traveled here in order to understand how the  _ Shadow Man _ came to be. According to Mulder, this reserve was the place to go in search of ‘the truth’. 

As they approached closer to the reserve, several of the Navajo residents stared at the FBI agents, some with curiosity, others with unbridled hatred. Scully could understand why these Navajo people may despise them. After all, most Native American residents get arrested for trespassing on federal property. However, these agents were not here to arrest these people. They were here for an entirely different reason. 

As if one of the residents knew we were coming, a young man approached us. He had long, thick black hair, and copper-colored skin. He was of medium height and build, and he had the most alluring light-brown eyes. 

“Hello. Is there something wrong?” The young man asked. His tone was stern, yet there was a hint of trepidation in his voice. 

“Uh, no. Nothing is wrong. I’m agent Fox Mulder and this is my partner, Dana Scully. We were wondering who to talk to about the origins of the  _ Shadow Man? _ ” 

“Oh!” The man seemed delighted. “You are going to want to speak to Sani, he is the chief. I’ll lead you to him.” 

“Thank you, uh-” Mulder hadn’t received the young Navajo man’s name. Luckily, the young man gave his name to Mulder without hesitation. 

“Kilchii.” He said succinctly. 

It was surprising to see how Kilchii was so wary of the agents, at first, but now he seemed to warm up to them rather quickly. Maybe it was because the agents were not here to arrest anyone. Or maybe it was the fact that, at least on Agent Mulder’s part, there was a genuine interest in learning about their urban legends. 

Nevertheless, the two agents followed Kilchii to Sani, or commonly known as, “The old one”. As the agents followed Kilchii, they couldn’t help but notice the array of stares. Scully could hear some of them whispering, presumably about them. However, whether what they were saying was good or bad, she couldn’t tell. She had never been subject to the Navajo language, but she had a feeling maybe Mulder had an idea, since he had a history with the Navajo culture. Hell, his given name was Fox, after all. 

As the two agents were walking side by side, Mulder couldn’t help but smirk at the remarks made by some of the native people. He was in no way, shape, or form fluent in the language, but his father taught him enough to understand simple conversations. He knew for certain, some of the Navajo people were talking about how attractive they both were, while others were cursing at them. Mulder wasn’t too bothered by it. Truthfully, he was more concerned about Scully, as long as she was alright, he was, too. 

After a few more moments of awkward small talk and dusty fields, the agents were finally introduced to the one they call, “The old one.” 

“Sani, these two would like to speak with you. They’re with the FBI.” Kilchii announced. 

“Is that so?” Sani seemed perplexed, yet he looked as if he was expecting their arrival. “Well, let them in.” The old man replied in a low voice.

Sani was a large man, with long, feather-white hair and dark-grey eyes. Despite his old age, there were no wrinkles adorned on his dark skin. However, there was a rather ghastly scar that crossed through his left eyebrow and went all the way down to his cheek. Although his deformity gave him a rough-looking exterior, he smiled warmly at the agents.

“Please,” Sani began, “Have a seat. I have been expecting you.” 

Mulder gave a slight nod and took a seat nearest to Sani, while Scully sat next to Mulder. She didn’t know what confused her more? The fact that Sani was “expecting them” or that Mulder didn’t seem fazed by any of this. It was probably both. However, she should know better. After all, Mulder always seemed to surprise her when it came to cases such as this. Her partner always seemed to prepare for it. Meanwhile, she was always left in the dark, being forced to experience everything in the moment. She thanked her academy training for allowing her to compartmentalize her emotions because, if not, she would be the definition of uncomfortable. 

“You’ve seen it, haven’t you?” Sani began, “The Shadow Man.”

The two agents were taken aback by his questioning. _ How could he possibly know about that?  _ Scully thought. She was wracking her brain to come up with possible explanations. Eventually, she decided that word got around and Sani ended up hearing about it. At least, she  _ hoped _ that was the case. Before she could ask Sani how he knew of their case, Mulder quickly chimed in:

“Uh, we think so. But, how did you–”

Sani quickly stopped Mulder from finishing his sentence by raising his frail hand up.

“I could sense his presence. In fact, everyone in this town can sense him. A couple of days ago, Kilchii and I were preparing for the annual bonfire that we have around this time when, all of a sudden, Kilchii and I felt a cold chill creep up our spines and whisperings of a soul most foul. The dark energy surrounded us, and then the next thing I remember is waking up here, in my office.”

Although hearing Sani describe the presence of the Shadow man made Scully want to scoff, she couldn’t deny the way her body reacted to his frightening description. If she were being honest, ever since their arrival, Scully felt something. Something sinister in the air. Of course, she was not going to admit that out loud, especially in front of Mulder. 

“Does Kilchii remember anything from that night?” Mulder questioned.

“I am not sure. We have never discussed it. I advised against it.” Sani replied, succinctly. 

“Why?” Scully chimed in.

She wasn’t sure why she was so intrigued by his response, but something about his change in demeanor terrified her. Sani went from being warm and charismatic to cold and repellant. Despite all of the courage she mustered in order to ask that simple question, she couldn’t suppress the shudder that coursed throughout her body. 

“I do not want word spreading around here. There are some people who...need not be aware of this spirit.” Sani explained, discreetly. 

With that, the two agents were escorted out of Sani’s office. Yet again, the agents had more questions than answers as well as no evidence. The only lead they could think of was talking to Kilchii. However, the agents were at a loss as to where to find him. After he dropped the two FBI agents off, he disappeared from sight.

“And I thought gossip at the office was bad.” Mulder quipped. 

Scully smirked despite herself. She usually scoffed at her partner’s ill-timed jokes, but she was so spooked that she needed a little chuckle to relax. And she had to admit, Mulder was always good at making her laugh. It was one of the things she loved about him, although she would never tell him that.

“C’mon, Mulder. Let’s get out of here.” 

“And go where, Scully? We have to find Kilchii. He is the only lead we have.”

“Mulder! We have no idea where he is, and I think we just pissed off the chief. If we stay here, who knows what they will do to us?” Scully fumed.

“Scully,” Mulder deadpanned, “We’ve been through a lot worse.”

Scully scoffed at his remark. Sure, they have come close to death more times than she would like to admit, but she didn’t want to push her luck even more than she already has. Instead of responding to his statement. She just let out an exasperated sigh and the two agents searched around for Kilchii. As they passed by, more and more of the townsfolk glared at them. Scully was feeling self-conscious. She didn’t want to be here as much as the townspeople wanted them there. She tried to focus on finding Kilchii; however, her mind kept drifting back to that uneasy feeling she was having back in Sani’s office. She had never experienced such an intense fear as that in Sani’s office. Sure, she had been terrified on many occasions, but she never experienced anything quite like this. It was as if she was outside herself, watching herself as she sat petrified yet stoic. Her skin went pale and her eyes blown. It was as if she’d seen a ghost. Scully chastised herself, “don’t be ridiculous,” she muttered. But then, it hit her again. That feeling of absolute fear causing her body to stop in its pursuit. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t breathe. She felt trapped. Mulder looked at her with concern and worry. Scully just looked at him and quickly turned her head to the man approaching them. 

“Kilchii…” Scully remarked with a tremulous tone. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> Thank you all for your patience and kind words. I really appreciate all of your feedback. Thank you!! I, finally, was able to figure out what the hell to do with this story. I'm not sure if it makes much sense, but I just wrote what came to my mind. Hopefully, it's not too bad. Also, this is by far the longest chapter I have ever written, so, I hope it's not too arduous to read. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it. Happy reading!!

Mulder just looked at Scully as if she had grown a third head and spoke to the man in question. 

“Sani told me that you two were looking for me?” Kilchii inquired.

“Uh, yeah. It’s about that day at the bonfire. Sani said you both felt a presence,” Mulder recalled.

Mulder took a quick glance at Scully, who was looking a lot more pale than normal. He was growing more and more concerned about her change in attitude. She seemed fine a few minutes ago, but now she looked like she was on the verge of tears. 

“The Shadow Man. He has come back,”

Both agents looked at one another.

“Come back?” Mulder questioned.

“Yes. We have felt this spirit before, a long time ago. It was when the town had suffered a major tragedy. Several of our people were killed due to an unexplained illness. After the deaths, our people were growing fearful. So much, in fact, that some resorted to killing themselves in order to avoid the illness or to be reunited with their loved ones. We eventually got past it, but–” Kilchii halted for a moment, trying to keep his voice low.

“Someone died last night. Sani and I fear the illness has come back,” Kilchii’s voice wavered a bit. 

“Is the body still here?” Mulder asked.

Kilchii stared at him in shock, unsure what he was thinking.

“We’ve buried him in a discreet location. One where he would not be disturbed,” Kilchii informed. 

“Is there a possibility we could examine the body?” 

Scully looked at Mulder. She knew this was their only solid lead, but she did not want to be here any longer. She was beyond terrified and looking at a decomposed corpse would not add any sort of levity to her fears. 

“Come this way,” Kilchii led the agents to the discreet burial site.

While the three were walking in silence, Scully tugged on Mulder’s arm, pulling him back slightly.

He lowered his head so that his ear was close to her mouth.

“Mulder, I don’t think this is such a good idea. I think something really strange is happening here.”

“I think you’re right, Scully, but what choice do we have? We have no other leads,” he sounded sympathetic, but Scully knew she wouldn’t be able to change his mind. 

In order to try and console her, Mulder rested his hand on Scully’s lower back and whispered, “It’s alright.”

Those two, simple words did ease her a bit. They were the same words he had said to her when she was abducted by Donny Pfaster. However, the eerie feeling she felt still lingered. She had a feeling it was coming from Kilchii. There was something off about him that Scully could not explain. 

“Right here,” Kilchii said, more detached than Scully would’ve liked. Kilchii seemed more empathetic to the deceased earlier, but now he seemed almost burdened by it. His demeanor gave Scully the creeps. It was like this place, wherever they were, a cave, possibly, changed him. 

Mulder looked down onto the area where Kilchii pointed his long, narrow index finger. The lump on the ground was significant, almost as if the grave was shallow. 

“Do you mind if we take a look?” Mulder asked, his voice somewhat uneasy. Scully wondered if Mulder was just as nervous as she was. Although, with most of these cases, Mulder was always the calm, collected one. 

Kilchii stood there for a few moments, his eyes now dripping with malice. He looked as if he were ready to attack, like a wolf hunting its prey. The two agents look to each other, conveying a secret message: run!

The agents sprinted as fast as their legs could take them, Scully was a few feet ahead of Mulder. She could hear him calling out to her, “Scully!” She looked back, but she could not see him. The darkness of the cave seemed to spread like a virus, the walls were slowly closing in on her. Looking back once more, Scully saw Kilchii charging after her. Scully tried to run faster, but her legs seemed to give out on her. She collapsed, trying to pull herself with her arms, but to no avail. Kilchii was on top of her, looking as if he were about to devour her. “Scully!” There it was again, Mulder’s voice. Where is he? I can’t see him? She tried calling out to him, but her voice was gone. 

“Scully!” The voice was louder now, almost as if Mulder were right on top of her. Scully abruptly opened her eyes. There Mulder crouched, holding Scully’s delicate head in his masculine hands. He exhaled in relief. She looked at his lips, where he mouthed, “Thank God.” 

“Mulder, what happened?’ Scully had no idea why she was on the ground, or why Mulder looked so panic-stricken. 

Mulder just stared at her for a moment, trying to gauge whether she truly did not know what happened. After a few minutes of silence, Mulder realized that Scully had no recollection about what happened.

“Uh, we were looking for Kilchii when you started to get really pale. You passed out, Scully. Are you alright?” Mulder was rubbing her head as he said this. His eyes were filled with concern and Scully couldn’t help but appreciate his concern. This whole trip had caused nothing but animosity towards one another, but his gentle touch to her head warmed her heart. This was the first moment they were actually being nice to each other. 

“I’m fine, Mulder,” realizing that phrase did nothing to alleviate Mulder’s worries, Scully rephrased, “I think I can get up now.” Mulder quickly helped her onto her feet. She staggered a bit but quickly regained her composure. Mulder held her steady the whole time, even after she regained her balance, he still held onto her. 

“Thank you.” With that, Mulder let go of her. However, he still kept a close distance, in case she collapsed again. 

As Mulder’s warmth left her, she felt a chill. Although it was not from Mulder’s lack of heat, it was something far more sinister.  _ Kilchii, _ Scully thought.

Just then, the man in question appeared.

“Sani told me that you two were looking for me?” Kilchii asked, watching the agents look back at him.

Scully had the wickedest case of  déjà vu. She could have sworn she had seen this exact scenario before. Then, it hit her. That dream she had. Scully turned expectantly at Mulder, who was about to ask Kilchii a question. She quickly grasped Mulder by his bicep.

“Scully?” Mulder questioned. 

Scully turned to Kilchii, “Could you give us a moment, please?” The man seemed to understand the urgency of her words and simply said, “I’ll be in Sani’s office.” Once he got far enough away Scully turned to Mulder, who was looking at her with concern.

Under normal circumstances, Scully would ignore the weird, or unexplained, experiences she has, but she feared that not telling Mulder this information could get him killed. 

“Mulder, something happened. When I fell unconscious, I had this...vision. We went into this cave, where Kilchii buried a body. But, when you asked if we could examine it, his expression turned sinister, it was as if he looked like he was going to...eat us,” Scully tried to make her dream as clear to her partner as she could, but even hearing herself say it, she sounded ridiculous. Luckily, Mulder didn’t seem very judgemental of her admission. Maybe he felt sorry for her. She didn’t know. Before Mulder could respond to her tangent, she chimed in, hoping to save some shred of her dignity.

“I know it sounds crazy, Mulder, but you have to believe me. Whether it was a premonition or the whole thing was a dream, there is something not right about this place. We need to get out of here,” Scully hoped that Mulder would understand and they would take their leave. Deep down, she knew Mulder was not about to give up that easily.

“Scully, I think maybe you should head back to the hotel. I can finish stuff up here,” Mulder was trying to be nice and make sure she was taken care of, but his reply made her red with rage. If what she witnessed in her vision, dream, whatever it was, was any indication, she was not about to leave Mulder by himself. 

“Mulder, I am not leaving without you,” from her words, Mulder seemed shocked, yet happy. It was unlike Scully to be so adamantly opposed to leaving him. Granted, he was always the one that just left, not giving her the chance to oppose. Mulder looked deep into her crystal blue eyes, reassuring her that, if she really wanted to leave, he would let her. However, if the defiant glare he was receiving was any indication, Scully was not going to change her mind. This delighted him more than it should have. Although Mulder’s passion and relentlessness to find the truth causes him to make some stupid decisions: taking off without telling his partner, him getting himself into a jam, almost killing himself in the process until Scully finds him and rescues him, he loved having Scully by his side, finding the truth alongside her. 

Mulder gently placed his hand on Scully’s cheek, slowly scanning her face. He lingered on her plush, red lips. 

“Are you sure you’re okay with this, Scully?” Mulder returned his gaze to her eyes.

That was just like Mulder, always making sure she was alright. Confirmation from their glances wasn’t enough, he had to hear her say it in words, maybe it was intended to convince herself that she really was alright. With Mulder, she knew she would be alright. No matter what came her way.

“I’m okay with it, Mulder,” she simply said. The agents made their way back to Sani’s office.

Once the agents entered, Sani immediately stood up. Was this some sort of greeting, Scully asked herself. However, once Sani pointed his long, crooked finger at her, she knew he wasn’t greeting them, he looked accusatory. 

“You!” Sani shouted, marching towards Scully. Mulder quickly jumped to her side and stepped in front of her, hoping to prevent the old man from getting any closer to her. While she appreciated Mulder’s protectiveness, she did not feel threatened by the man. In order to convey this to Mulder, she placed her hand on his upper arm, “It’s okay, Mulder,” she said in a quiet voice, one that only Mulder could hear. 

When Mulder stepped back, Sani continued his stride. He stopped about a foot from where Scully stood. Before Scully could register what was happening, Sani’s hands were cradling her face, almost as if he were searching for something. Scully’s eyes flitted from Sani to Kilchii, who looked as stoic as a stone, and then onto Mulder, who looked just as confused and uncomfortable as she was. Her eyes returned to the old man’s, where he finally spoke.

“You’ve seen something, haven’t you?” The man waited for Scully to respond, but from the look on his face, he already knew the answer. With his hands still around her head, Scully found it difficult to speak, so she just nodded instead. 

With her response, Sani let go of her and had the saddest expression Scully had ever seen. 

“You must leave here, immediately. It is not safe for you here. You’ve seen him. He is here,” Sani rushed, practically pushing the agents out of his office.

“Who's here?” Mulder asked, “The Shadow Man?” As the words left his mouth, Sani’s melancholic expression turned malicious. 

“Do not say his name,” Sani spat, “LEAVE!” His voice echoed throughout the land, everyone was now looking at them. Scully and Mulder looked at each other. From the look in Mulder’s eyes, she knew he was about to ask more unwanted questions. 

“You said he was here. What does he want?” Mulder’s voice was louder now. It felt like he was not only asking Sani the question but everyone, anyone who would muster the courage and offer an explanation. 

“He wants her,” Kilchii answered Mulder’s question. As he said this, Kilchii pointed his finger towards Scully. 

Mulder stared at Scully, fear in his eyes. Scully was looking at Kilchii as if she already knew who the Shadow Man was. She felt like she was looking in the face of death at this very moment. Their gazes never faulted. Mulder must have noticed because he turned to Kilchii with a look of malice. 

From just one blink of Scully’s eyes, the scene in front of her seemed to fast-forward. There she stood, watching Mulder chase after Kilchii, who fled the scene shortly after Mulder’s eyes made contact with the young man’s. Scully approached Sani, who seemed to have expected the events that followed. Sani offered no explanation and instead pointed to where Mulder ran off. She got the hint and followed suit. 

Running as fast as her little legs would take her, she met up with Mulder, who was in the process of cuffing Kilchii. Without a second of hesitation, Scully ran to his aid and held Kilchii still, in order for Mulder to properly clasp the cuffs around the young man’s wrists, “Thanks,” Mulder said, a bit breathless from the heated chase. Scully just offered a small smile in return. 

While the two agents had their perp, putting an end to these unexplained murders, the Native people wanted nothing to do with them. Everyone shunned them and refused to cooperate with any further questioning. Sani was the only one that seemed civil towards them. He gave a slight nod after the two FBI agents thanked him for everything. 

Unfortunately, as with most of these kinds of cases, the agents were left with more questions than answers. During interrogation, Kilchii refused to answer any of the FBI’s questions. However, while putting Kilchii’s fingerprints into the database, Kilchii’s prints matched those of Thomas Adler. How is that possible, Scully thought. This whole case made no sense to her. Thomas Adler had been dead for two years. Hell, they found his CREMATED remains around his late wife, Darleen Adler. According to Mulder’s theory, the remains were a result of Kilchii’s shadow. Mulder believes that Kilchii, or Thomas Adler, unknowingly possessed this ability. But Scully couldn’t understand how this man could Murder his wife and not leave a shred of DNA, or any other evidence. She couldn’t even get over the fact that Thomas Adler standing in front of them now. This whole case was just one big mind-fuck. None of the pieces fit the puzzle at all, and Scully was at a loss as to what to write in her goddamn field report. She couldn’t even begin to understand this shit show, much less try to explain it to her superiors. The only person who seemed to have any clue of what was happening was Mulder. Obviously, she couldn’t have him write the report. The whole reason Scully had to write those stupid, tedious reports was to debunk her partner’s theories, not to have him write her reports for her, with all of his outlandish, ridiculous conclusions. 

With this report, she may just have to write the normal spiel she usually documented in her case reports. The word, “unsubstantiated,” kept popping up in her mind. Great, she thought. At least A.D. Skinner was a lot more sympathetic towards her situation than their former Director. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!
> 
> Here is the finale of this story. It's pretty short compared to chapter 5, but it is finally complete. Once again, I would like to thank you all for your patience. I have a really bad habit of starting stories and then never finishing them. However, given this whole quarantine business, I am trying to motivate myself to write more and finish these stories. Anywho, thank you so so much. I hope you enjoy/have enjoyed reading this. Happy reading!!

While on her way home, Scully’s mind kept drifting to her partner. Throughout this case, they had seemed pretty pissed with each other, yet as the case was nearing completion, their seeming animosity diminished. Maybe it was because she collapsed. Maybe he just had a change of heart. Either way, she was glad that they were on better terms. However, as much as she hated to admit it, she did get rather infuriated during the interrogation with Thomas “Kilchii” Adler. She couldn’t help herself. All of their hard work and relentless pursuit to solve this case was void of any conclusion. Scully knew she should be used to this by now, but it never seems to get easier. If anything, it has become harder and harder to motivate herself to try. Yet, Mulder never gave up. No matter the setback, he was always eager and ready to take on another case. She admired that about him. It’s one of the reasons why she has stuck with the X-Files for so long. 

However, the thought did occur to her as to whether Mulder felt the same way. Lately, she has been a lot more moody and irritated with the work. She hoped Mulder didn’t think it was in any way a slight to him. Then it hit her, the look of absolute dread on Mulder’s face after she had said the words, “I'm tired.” She mentally slapped herself. She hoped he didn’t take it to mean that she was tired of the X-Files, tired of working alongside him. What she had meant to convey was that she was tired of going in circles; tired of trying so hard and getting nothing in return. God, she could be the worst sometimes. She really needed to work on how she worded things. 

She kept replaying that conversation, kept replaying that look on his gorgeous face. She didn’t understand why she was just now suddenly thinking about all of this, but she knew she had to make things right. Instead of taking the last right turn onto her street, she pulled a U-turn, heading to her new destination…

“Scully,” Mulder said with surprise. He was standing in the doorway, showing only a glimpse of his apartment. He seemed almost hesitant, despite the fact that Scully had already seen his apartment on several occasions. 

Scully gave a timid smile, “May I come in?” She felt awkward asking the question. She hoped that upon seeing her, Mulder would readily let her in. 

“Yeah,” he opened the door wider while moving out of Scully’s way. She approached the room with hesitation. She knew that once she entered Mulder’s apartment completely, she would have to say all of the things she had been repeating in her head the car ride over. 

“So,” he spoke, “What brings you here, Scully?” Mulder sounded more eager than concerned. 

Here goes nothing, she thought. Time to clear the air, or try to. She mustered the courage to look him in the eyes. She sighed, but quickly motivated herself to just get this over with.

“I wanted to talk about our conversation from earlier. The one we had at the lab. In the utility closet,” Scully looked away when she mentioned the closet statement. Something about it seemed so intimate, yet the only intimacy they shared was how close their faces came while arguing. Scully cringed at the recollection of the moment. She felt like such an asshole. Encouraging herself to return her eyes to Mulder’s she understood that she would have to elaborate. 

“I–when I said that I was “tired,” I wasn’t referring to you, or the X-Files. I just meant that–”

Mulder quickly cut her off, “I knew what you meant.” He smiled that genuine, goofy smile. It was very seldom that Scully would ease his worries like this and he appreciated it more than he could put into words. He watched Scully as she tried, unsuccessfully, to hide the subtle blush creeping on her angelic face. He loved watching his usually reserved partner become flustered because of him. It made him feel empowered, emboldened. He couldn’t help it. Her reactions were one of the reasons he lived to tease her so much. 

“Okay,” She finally stated, “Good.” She was at a loss for words. She had expected to regurgitate the speech she had been rehearsing on the way to his place. Now, she just felt like a bumbling idiot. And, from the way Mulder was beaming at her, she probably looked like one, too. In hopes to keep some shred of her dignity, she headed for the front door; however, Mulder stopped her in her tracks by pulling her into an embrace. At first, she froze. She wasn’t expecting this type of reaction from him. 

However, the feeling of his body heat and the faint smell of pine and aftershave, Scully gave into the embrace and held onto him with as much vigor as he was giving. Being in his arms, hearing the gentle rhythm of his beating heart, Scully felt like she was home. There was no other place like it. A place where only she and Mulder existed. They shared an undeniable connection. A connection that is unexplainable. However, unlike the X-Files, she didn’t need to search for the truth, she already found it. In fact, she was being embraced by it right now… 


End file.
